Restoration

We have a puppy who loves to find "treasures" and bring them home. Oftentimes, I will see bones that have been recently dropped in the yard or driveway.  (Our neighbors have cows, some of which have died in the past couple of years, but that's a story for another day!) As the dogs chew the bones, they become brittle and are eventually destroyed or whittled down to essentially nothing.  I could not help but to think of those bones as I read our scriptures for today.  Even if I wanted to (which I don't), there would be no way possible for me to restore the bones, much less give them new life.

As humans, we are visual people, aren't we?  Most of us remember things better if we have seen them. We learn new skills by watching others. We enjoy looking at God's creation. Throughout the book of Ezekiel, God uses visual images of things that humans can understand to convey His message.  God gives Ezekiel an image of a valley of dry bones.  Lifeless, useless, destroyed bones. In a way that only God can do, He then showed Ezekiel how He can bring life to the dead.  As I read how God creates life and gives breath, I thought of Genesis and was reminded of how God created Adam from nothing. What a miraculous event! God is in the business of giving us life and He obviously does what is not humanly possible.

Through these chapters in Ezekiel, we see evidence that God is in the business of restoration.  God restored the broken nation of Israel so that His Holy name would be known among the Israelites AND among the enemy nations.

God restored His people

My dwelling place will be with them.  I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Ezekiel 37:27)

God restored His nation

... they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. (Ezekiel 37:22)

God restored His leadership

My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd.  They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. (Ezekiel 37:24)

God restored His protection

They had been brought out from the nations and now all of them live in safety... I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains... every man's sword will be against his brother.  (Ezekiel 38:8,21)

God restored His provisions

Then those who live in the towns of Israel will go out and use the weapons for fuel... for seven years. (Ezekiel 39:9)

God restored His Promised Land

Men will be regularly employed to cleanse the land. (Ezekiel 39:14)

In these passages, God reveals that He can and does use EVERYTHING in the restoration and cleansing process.  He uses dry bones, broken sticks, mountains, birds of the air, and humans of all influence to accomplish His purpose: "Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind."  (Ezekiel 39:28)  As if all of that is not enough, God then goes even further and promises to fellowship with them and pour out His Spirit on them. (Ezekiel 39:29)

Ezekiel provides us with lessons to learn and evidence of God's faithfulness to his promises and people.  I Peter confirms God's power to restore and provides us with a wonderful promise.  Wherever we are in our walks with the Lord, God will restore us.  Thank you, Lord!

And the God of all grace, 

who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, 

after you have suffered for a little while, 

will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
~ I Peter 5:10